Moore: Dez Bryant's injury yet another hurdle for Cowboys to clear

3/59

Michael Ainsworth/Staff Photographer

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin (19) looks at the jersey of practice squad player Jerry Brown Jr., (53) as he sat on the bench with wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) during their NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on December 9, 2012. Dallas won the game 20-19. Brown was killed in an automobile accident as he was driven by teammate Josh Brent.

IRVING — A Cowboys team rocked by the death of one teammate and the arrest of another emerged on the other side to discover it may be without its most prolific receiver for the remainder of the season.

Dez Bryant injured his left index finger in the fourth quarter of the team’s emotional victory over Cincinnati. He was examined by Dr. Bo Frederick, an orthopedic hand surgeon, Monday afternoon.

X-rays revealed a fractured left index finger. Late Monday evening, club officials said no decision has been reached about whether the receiver will require season-ending surgery.

Bryant has emerged as the Cowboys’ most dangerous receiver over these last five weeks, a stretch in which the team has compiled a 4-1 record. His loss would deal a serious blow to the team’s already slim playoff hopes.

That’s why the club, and Bryant, will continue to explore if there is any way he can finish the season and delay the surgery.

“Dez hurt his finger in the game,” head coach Jason Garrett said earlier in the day. “We’ll see what his status is as we go forward.

“There has been no definitive diagnosis of what he has and what his availability will be.”

Asked if surgery is an option, Garrett responded, “We’re trying to figure out what it is.”

Last weekend was unlike any other in franchise history. As the Cowboys’ charter sat on the runway Saturday afternoon before its departure to Cincinnati, Garrett informed the players that practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown was dead and his close friend and roommate, nose tackle Josh Brent, was in jail on a charge of intoxicated manslaughter.

Less than 24 hours later, a Cowboys team desperately hoping to remain relevant in the playoff race took the field against the Bengals. Voices cracked and tears flowed Sunday as coaches and players spoke of wanting to honor Brown with their come-from-behind victory as time expired.

The team received a rare Monday off.

“Our players have been through so much the last few days, as you can imagine,” Garrett said. “This was a very emotional couple of days for everybody. I thought our players did an amazing job of somehow, some way, processing what went on and then channeling their emotion to play a football game.

“I just think they needed a rest, they needed a break. They didn’t need structure, they didn’t need me standing in front of them in a team meeting or going over film in a real structured manner.”

The doors to Valley Ranch were obviously open. But Garrett wanted everyone to know whether they came up to watch film, lift weights, meet with the training staff or just to talk, the atmosphere would be relaxed.

“Obviously, some of them are still grieving the loss,” Garrett said. “Emotionally they’re spent. It’s a difficult time for them.

“But again, we want to let them know that we’re there for them. We’re all there for each other.”

The question now is will Bryant be there for the Cowboys stretch run.

Bryant injured the finger while running a slant pattern with 9:47 remaining. He sat out five plays but returned later in the possession to catch a 27-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to pull the Cowboys within two points.

The training staff taped his finger so he could return to the game, then put it in a splint afterward.

“I sprained it,” Bryant said. “Taped it up, wrapped it up a little bit and just got back out there.”

The potential loss of Bryant is the latest blow to a team hanging in the playoff race by a 7-6 thread.

Bryant leads the Cowboys in receiving yards with 1,028 and in touchdowns with nine. His 75 receptions are second only to tight end Jason Witten. He has come on strong with 33 receptions for 525 yards and seven touchdowns over the last five games.

The Cowboys would lean more heavily on Miles Austin if Bryant is unable to return. Kevin Ogletree could take his spot in the starting lineup, although Dwayne Harris has appeared to move past Ogletree in the pecking order recently.

It’s just one of many issues the Cowboys must deal with in the final days of the regular season. The loss of Brown overshadows all others. The club will hold a private memorial service for their friend Tuesday.

“We have to continue to move on,” Garrett said. “We have to honor Jerry. We have to help Josh any way that we can. But then we have to get back to work.

“The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to town, and we’re going to play a game Sunday afternoon against them and we have to be ready for that. And I think in a similar way as to our game with Cincinnati, that will continue to help honor Jerry Brown and his family.”

To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.